US3959072A - Compactable control element assembly for a nuclear reactor - Google Patents

Compactable control element assembly for a nuclear reactor Download PDF

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Publication number
US3959072A
US3959072A US05/401,483 US40148373A US3959072A US 3959072 A US3959072 A US 3959072A US 40148373 A US40148373 A US 40148373A US 3959072 A US3959072 A US 3959072A
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United States
Prior art keywords
support member
absorber
duct
support
pins
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
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US05/401,483
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English (en)
Inventor
Clive Frederick George Dupen
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Combustion Engineering Inc
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Combustion Engineering Inc
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Publication date
Application filed by Combustion Engineering Inc filed Critical Combustion Engineering Inc
Priority to US05/401,483 priority Critical patent/US3959072A/en
Priority to FR7432513A priority patent/FR2246026B1/fr
Priority to DE19742445672 priority patent/DE2445672C3/de
Priority to GB41956/74A priority patent/GB1487566A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3959072A publication Critical patent/US3959072A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C7/00—Control of nuclear reaction
    • G21C7/06—Control of nuclear reaction by application of neutron-absorbing material, i.e. material with absorption cross-section very much in excess of reflection cross-section
    • G21C7/08—Control of nuclear reaction by application of neutron-absorbing material, i.e. material with absorption cross-section very much in excess of reflection cross-section by displacement of solid control elements, e.g. control rods
    • G21C7/10—Construction of control elements
    • G21C7/103—Control assemblies containing one or more absorbants as well as other elements, e.g. fuel or moderator elements
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors

Definitions

  • Power generation in a nuclear reactor is accomplished by initiating a self-sustaining chain reaction.
  • the amount of fissionable fuel used in the chain reaction is such that the multiplication factor (ratio of neutrons produced by fission in each generation to the number of neutrons in the preceding generation) can be made more than unity.
  • control or absorber elements are used to absorb neutrons within the reactor.
  • the control assemblies are interspersed within a closely packed array of fuel assemblies.
  • Both the fuel assemblies and the control assemblies are generally of a closed housing type in which the housings surrounding the fuel or control elements are provided with flow openings to permit coolant to flow therethrough.
  • the coolant which may be a liquid metal such as sodium, removes the thermal energy produced by the nuclear fissioning of the fuel.
  • control assemblies within the array of fuel assemblies is such as to provide the most effective and efficient control of the reactor. Generally, this aided by providing three types of control assemblies. One type provides a general reactivity level control to regulate power output of the reactor. A second type provides fine control of reactivity within very small increments to compensate for drifts in reactor operating conditions. The third type of control elements rapidly reduce the reactivity level within the reactor to below the critical self-sustaining level in the event of certain particular malfunctions. These latter control assemblies are known as safety control assemblies since they act to rapidly shutdown the reactor. Also, the control elements of the other assemblies may generally be fully inserted simultaneously with the safety control elements if the reactor is scrammed.
  • the safety control element assemblies are comprised of a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel absorber elements adapted for longitudinal movement within the housing or duct.
  • the elements of a safety control assembly are suspended as a unit inside the duct but above the fissile fuel zone.
  • the safety elements are released by a latch at their upper end and are driven downward under the action of gravity.
  • a spring may be included to insure release from the latch and to initially accelerate the elements downwardly.
  • the safety element insertion is entirely controlled by conditions inside the duct, e.g., spring force, fluid drag, element weight, buoyancy and sliding friction. Accordingly, if severe duct distortions occur, the safety elements may become jammed in the duct and therefore not inserted.
  • Control assembly duct distortion can occur as a result of a variety of phenomena. Some distortion is inherent during reactor operation and generally may be predicted. Examples of such predictable duct distortion include bowing of the duct as a result of a temperature differential across the duct, nonsymmetrical neutron induced swelling and distortion of the duct material and differences in creep under stress. Since such distortions are predictable, the control assembly can be designed to accommodate this. This is what has been done in the past. However, duct distortion can also occur as a result of unforeseen and unpredictable phenomena, such as "denting" of the duct during fuel handling, adjacent fuel assembly failure, and failure of the radial core restraints which normally clamp the fuel and control assemblies together. As can be appreciated, in these instances it is still desirable, if not more desirable, to prevent the control or absorber elements from becoming jammed in the duct.
  • the present invention overcomes the above discussed and other disadvantages of the prior art by providing a control assembly in which the absorber elements are moved in response to longitudinal movement in one direction to increase the minimum lateral clearance between the absorber elements and the interior wall of the duct. When the longitudinal movement of the elements is stopped, the elements are returned to their initial lateral spacing.
  • the absorber elements are compacted as they are inserted into the core and then returned to their uncompacted state or position when the movement is stopped.
  • control element assembly comprises a support member and a plurality of absorber pins supported laterally outward of the support member by pairs of support arms.
  • the absorber pins are pivotably mounted on the support arms and the arms are supported from the support member for pivotable movement in a longitudinal plane. As the support member is moved downward, the support arms are pivoted and the absorber pins are moved upwardly and inwardly towards the support member thereby compacting the absorber pins to permit free descent of the assembly despite distortion of the duct.
  • control assembly is inherently able to accommodate unpredictable or unforeseen duct distortions and accordingly reduce the probability of the absorber elements becoming jammed in the duct without relying upon means external to the assembly.
  • FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a control element assembly of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view of the assembly taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a side elevation taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing one type of absorber pin support.
  • FIG. 4 is a side elevation taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2, showing another type of absorber pin support.
  • FIG. 5 is a partial side elevation of the assembly showing the absorber pins in their compacted position.
  • FIG. 1 shows a control element assembly 10 for placement within the core of a nuclear reactor and more particularly the core of a fast spectrum reactor wherein fast neutrons are used to sustain the nuclear fission chain reaction.
  • the control element assembly 10 is generally comprised of a drive mechanism 12, a drive extension 14, a latch mechanism 16, an absorber assembly 18 and a control element assembly duct or housing 20.
  • the control element duct 20 is hexagonal in cross section (see FIG. 2) and is positionable within an array of hexagonally shaped fuel assemblies (not shown) which form the core of the fast spectrum reactor.
  • the upper end of the duct 20 is aligned by means of a spacer pad 22 integrally formed on the outer surface of the duct 20 which engages similar pads on adjacent fuel assemblies. Clamps (not shown) may be provided around the periphery of the core which act on these spacer pads to restrain the fuel and control assemblies against lateral movement within the core.
  • the lower end plug of the duct 20 is aligned in an appropriate opening in a core support plate (not shown).
  • Coolant flow for cooling the absorber assembly 18 is admitted into the interior of the duct 20 through coolant inlet openings 24 in the lower end plug of the duct 20. This coolant passes upwards through a central bore 26 to a distribution chamber 28 and then flows out through openings 30 to the annulus 32 defined between the interior wall of the duct 20 and a dashpot 34. The coolant continues to flow upward, over and around the absorber assembly 18 and exits from the duct 20 through outlet openings 36 above the spacer pads 22.
  • the absorber assembly 18 which is longitudinally movable within the duct 20, comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending, parallel absorber elements or pins 38 supported from a central support member 40 in a manner described hereinbelow.
  • the absorber pins 38 are generally comprised of a neutron absorbing material 42, such as boron carbide or tantalum, which is contained within a cladding 44.
  • the absorber pins 38 act to control the reactivity of a core by absorbing neutrons depending on the relative position of the absorber assembly 18 with respect to the fuel in the core.
  • the absorber assemblies 18 are coupled to the drive extension 14 which in turn is connected to the drive mechanism 12.
  • the absorber assemblies 18 are normally held above the fissile fuel region and are only inserted into the core when it is desirable to rapidly shut down the reactor.
  • the latch mechanism 16 is of the releasable gripper type and comprises a set of gripper jaws 48 (two shown) which are mounted in recesses of a gripper jaw holding section 50 integrally formed with the drive extension 14 above the lower collar 46. The mounting is accomplished such that the jaws 48 are capable of radially pivotable movement.
  • Each of the gripper jaws 48 has a gripping surface 54 which selectively serves to grip the head portion 56 at the upper end of the central support member 40 of the absorber assembly 18.
  • Each of the jaws 48 additionally has an unlatching cam face 58 and a latching cam face 60 which interact with a gripper release mechanism 62 to position the jaws 48 for selective gripping or release of the central support member 40.
  • the gripper release mechanism 62 has a gripper jaw actuator 64 at its lower end connected to an upwardly extending shaft 66.
  • the actuator 64 has a hollow portion 68 into which the central support shaft 40 extends.
  • the actuator 64 has openings 70 (two shown) which extend through the main body thereof and through which the gripper jaws 48 extend into the hollow portion 68.
  • the openings 70 have an unlatching cam surface 72 formed therein, while the lower portion of the actuator 64 has a latching cam surface 74 formed integral therewith.
  • the latching and unlatching of the latching mechanism 16 is accomplished by relative vertical movement of the gripper actuator shaft 66.
  • Upward movement of the shaft 66 relative to the drive extension 14 causes the latching cam surfaces 74 of a gripper jaw actuator 64 to engage the cam faces 60 of the gripper jaw 48 to move the jaws 48 radially inwardly to grip the head 56 of the central support shaft 40.
  • Downward relative movement of the shaft 66 causes the unlatching cam surfaces 72 of the actuator 64 to engage the unlatching cam faces 58 of the jaws 48 to move the grippers 48 radially outward so as to release their grip on the head 56 of the central support shaft 40 to cause a positive disengagement thereof.
  • Relative vertical movement of the shaft 66 can be accomplished in any of a variety of well known ways such as mechanically or fluidly.
  • the drive extension 14 extends upwardly through the guide tube 76 which overlies the control element assembly duct 20, and which is supported by the reactor vessel head. At its upper end, the drive extension 14 is operatively connected to the drive mechanism 12 such as by a ball nut and screw coupling.
  • the drive mechanism 12 which is housed within a casing 78, is mounted to the top of the guide tube 76 and drives the drive extension 14 vertically upwards and downwards to permit coupling with the absorber assembly 18 and to adjust the longitudinal position of the absorber assembly 18 within the reactor core.
  • the absorber assembly 18 is provided with a scram assist spring 80 and a dashpot 34.
  • the scram assist spring 80 is mounted between two flanged sleeves 82, 84, slidably positioned on the central support shaft 40 adjacent to its upper end. Normally the two sleeves 82, 84 are seated and retained against upper and lower shoulders 86, 88 formed integrally along the length of the central support shaft. However, when the absorber assembly 18 is latched to the drive extension 14, the lower collar 46 of the drive extension 14 engages the upper sleeve 82 to compress the spring 80.
  • the absorber assembly 18 will be accelerated downward by the scram assist spring 80 and be free to fall under the influence of gravity.
  • the downward movement of the absorber assembly 18 is dampened and eventually stopped by the piston or plunger 90 attached to the lower end of the central support shaft 40 entering the dashpot shock absorber 34 fixed at the lower end of the control element assembly duct 20.
  • the safety absorber assembly 18 is normally latched and positioned above the fissile fuel zone of the core.
  • the latch mechanism 16 releases the absorber assembly 18
  • safety element insertion is entriely controlled by the conditions within the duct 20.
  • the factors which influence the insertion rate include the spring force of a scram assist spring 80, the fluid drag of the coolant which is passing upward, over and around the absorber assembly 18, the absorber assembly weight, the buoyancy of the absorber assembly 18 in the coolant environment inside the duct 10 and the sliding friction between some of the absorber pins 38 which may contact the interior wall of the duct 20 during its free fall after release.
  • any unforeseen or unpredicted distortion to the duct 20 may result in the safety absorber assembly 18 not being inserted or at least not being fully inserted depending on how severe the duct distortion is.
  • Normally duct distortion due to thermal gradients, neutron irradiation, and creep can be predicted and the control safety assembly be designed to accommodate this.
  • unforeseen duct distortion such as which might result from denting of the fuel assembly during fuel handling, adjacent fuel assembly failure, failure of the core clamping system or greater than expected thermal gradient and neutron irradiation induced creep, the final duct dimensions cannot be determined with certainty.
  • the present invention is accordingly directed to reducing the probability of the absorber assembly 18 becoming jammed in the duct when the assembly is scrammed.
  • the concept is moving the absorber pins 38 of the absorber assembly 18 to increase the minimum lateral spacing between the absorber pins 38 and the interior wall of the duct 20 during downward movement of the absorber assembly 18.
  • the array of absorber pins 38 is supported from the support member 40 so that upon downward movement of the assembly 18, the array is laterally compacted to reduce the outer dimension of the absorber pin envelope.
  • each of the absorber pins 38 is pivotably mounted to a pair of longitudinally spaced support arms 94 or 98 which in turn are pivotably mounted to the central support member or shaft 40, so as to be pivotably movable in a longitudinal plane.
  • the pins 38 of which there are 18 in the preferred embodiment, are arranged in an hexagonal array within the duct 20.
  • Each of the pins 38 is provided with a pair of spaced longitudinally extending flanges 100 integrally formed on each of the end caps 102.
  • the support arms 94, 98 extend laterally outward from the central support shaft 40 of the absorber assembly 18 and are pin connected between the pairs of flanges 100 by the pins 104.
  • the spacing between adjacent pins 38 within the duct 20 and between the pins 38 and the interior wall of the duct 20 is substantially the same so that the coolant distribution among the absorber pins 38 will be uniform.
  • two different methods are shown for pivotably supporting the support arms 94, 98 from the central support shaft 40 to substantially maintain equal lateral spaces between the adjacent absorber pins 38 and between the pins 38 and the interior wall of the duct 20.
  • Twelve of the absorber pins 38, the six that are adjacent to the central support shaft 40 and the six which are furthest from the central support shaft 40 are supported from spherical T-slot mounted support arms 94 and the remaining six absorber pins 38 are supported from clevis mounted support arms 98.
  • the interior of the central support shaft 40 is provided with two longitudinally spaced spherical annuli 108.
  • Each support arm 94 is provided with a spherical T-head 112 which is attached to the central support shaft 40 in one of the two spherical annuli 108.
  • the arms 94 extend outward from the central support shaft 40 and the spherical annulus 108 through slots 110 provided in the shaft 40 adjacent to the spherical annulus 108.
  • the only requirement as to the size of the spherical T-head 112 is through the slots 110 in the wall of the shaft 40.
  • the only requirement is that it be of sufficient dimension so that the T-head 112 will not bind or jam as the arm 94 is rotated upwards. This, of course, will depend on the radial thickness of the spherical annulus 108 and the coefficient of friction between the head 112 and the central ball 114 forming the interior spherical surface of the spherical annulus 108. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the lower surface of the slot 110 in the shaft wall is horizontal while the upper surface is angularly inclined. This allows the support arms 94 to pivot upwardly as will be appreciated hereinbelow.
  • a three piece shaft construction may be used for assembly of the spherical T-slot hinges 106.
  • the ends of the central longitudinal shaft member 116 are machined to provide a substantially hemispherical surface 127 at each end.
  • a substantially hemispherical surface 124 is machined in the mating ends of the two longitudinal shaft end members 118, 120.
  • a pinned ball 114 may be centrally placed in the ends of the central shaft member 116, the spherical T-heads of the support arms 94 then placed between the hemispherical surface 122 and the ball 114 and the end members 118, 120 of the shaft 40 welded to the central member 116 such as shown at weld joints 126.
  • Each of the clevis mounted support arms 98 supports just one absorber pin 38.
  • Each of these arms 98 are pin connected by pins 128 between a pair of laterally extending radially spaced flanges 130.
  • Each pair of flanges 130 is fixedly attached to the outer surface of a central support shaft 40 between two of the slots 110 and at the same longitudinal elevation as the slots 110.
  • the clevis mounted support arms 98 nest into the remaining spaces between the spherical T-slot mounted support arms 94.
  • a stop ring 132 is integrally formed on the upper surface of the piston 90 to act as a stop for the lower set of support arms 94, 98. In this way only pivotable upward movement of the support arms 94, 98 is permitted. Accordingly, each of the absorber pins 38 is pivotably supported from the central support shaft 40 by a pair of pivotably mounted support arms 94, 98. By pivoting the support arms 94, 98 upwards the array of absorber pins 38 is laterally compacted so that the minimum lateral spacing between the pins 38 and the interior wall of the duct 20 is increased. That is, the lateral spacing between the pins 38 which are normally closest to the interior wall of the duct 20 is increased.
  • Each of the lower spherical T-slot mounted support arms 94 is provided with an upwardly, angularly inclined or curved tip 134 at its laterally outermost end.
  • these tips 134 act to centralize and maintain angular orientation of the absorber assembly 18 within the duct 20.
  • the tips 134 retract flush with the absorber pin envelope (see FIG. 5).
  • the absorber assembly 18 is coupled to the drive extension 14 and raised to above the fissile fuel zone of the core. This is the position shown in FIG. 1, and is the normal position of the safety absorber assembly. Should the need to rapidly trip the reactor arise, the latching mechanism 16 releases the absorber assembly 18 thereby freeing the absorber assembly 18 to fall under the influence of gravity, with additional impetus being provided by the scram assist spring 80, into the reactor core region to scram the reactor.
  • the array of absorber pins is uniformly closed up so that the minimum lateral spacing between the absorber pins 38 and the interior wall of the duct 20 is increased.
  • the compacted position is shown in FIG. 5. In this way the probability of the absorber assembly 18 jamming in a distorted duct due to unpredicted or unforeseen duct distortion is minimized.
  • the fluid drag on the absorber assembly 18 during downward movement through the coolant will cause the support arms 94, 98 to pivot upwardly, to compact the array of absorber pins. Also, as the absorber pins 38 are compacted, the fluid drag on the absorber assembly 18 will be minimized.
  • the hinged supported support arms 94, 98 provide an inherent safety feature in that it enables detection of excessive duct distortion in a safe manner.
  • the clearances between the absorber pins 38 and the interior wall of the duct 20 are arranged so that under normal operation the absorber assembly 18 is easily withdrawn without jamming. However, if the clearances are removed by duct distortion, then the absorber assembly 18 will jam upon an attempted withdrawal which could then be detected by a load cell in the drive mechanism 12. The damaged subassemblies could then be replaced and the cause of the distortion investigated.
  • support methods can be used to mount the support arms from the central support shaft 40 for pivotable movement as well as other combinations of the two disclosed methods.
  • the additional pins 38 could be supported from spherical T-slot mounted support arms which are in planes longitudinally offset from the other pairs of support arms.
  • the hinge supported support arms 94, 98 can also be employed for supporting the absorber pins 38 of regulating control assemblies which have a scram capability.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
  • Structure Of Emergency Protection For Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
US05/401,483 1973-09-27 1973-09-27 Compactable control element assembly for a nuclear reactor Expired - Lifetime US3959072A (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US05/401,483 US3959072A (en) 1973-09-27 1973-09-27 Compactable control element assembly for a nuclear reactor
FR7432513A FR2246026B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-09-27 1974-09-16
DE19742445672 DE2445672C3 (de) 1973-09-27 1974-09-25 Steuerstabanordnung für einen Kernreaktor
GB41956/74A GB1487566A (en) 1973-09-27 1974-09-26 Compactable control element assembly for a nuclear reacto

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US05/401,483 US3959072A (en) 1973-09-27 1973-09-27 Compactable control element assembly for a nuclear reactor

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US3959072A true US3959072A (en) 1976-05-25

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US (1) US3959072A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2246026B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1487566A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (24)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664878A (en) * 1984-09-26 1987-05-12 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Light water moderator filled rod for a nuclear reactor
US5068083A (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-11-26 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Dashpot construction for a nuclear reactor rod guide thimble
US20020075983A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2002-06-20 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US6721382B1 (en) * 1998-07-02 2004-04-13 Westinghouse Atom Ab Absorber member and control rod
US20090046824A1 (en) * 2007-08-17 2009-02-19 Pomirleanu Radu O Nuclear reactor robust gray control rod
US20090225926A1 (en) * 2008-02-04 2009-09-10 Westinghouse Electric Company, Llc Cold shutdown assembly for sodium cooled reactor
US20100316177A1 (en) * 2009-06-10 2010-12-16 Stambaugh Kevin J Control rod drive mechanism for nuclear reactor
US20110164718A1 (en) * 2008-09-08 2011-07-07 Areva Nc Device for gripping fuel elements, associated clamp and associated handling system
US20110222640A1 (en) * 2010-03-12 2011-09-15 Desantis Paul K Control rod drive mechanism for nuclear reactor
WO2012047473A1 (en) 2010-10-07 2012-04-12 Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc. Control rod/control rod drive mechanism couplings
USD691085S1 (en) * 2011-09-21 2013-10-08 Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc. Reactor vessel
USD691084S1 (en) * 2011-04-15 2013-10-08 Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy, Inc. Reactor vessel
USD702628S1 (en) * 2013-07-18 2014-04-15 Sabre Intellectual Property Holdings Llc Reactor
USD713331S1 (en) * 2014-02-03 2014-09-16 Babcock & Wilcox Mpower, Inc. Reactor vessel
USD726105S1 (en) * 2013-07-18 2015-04-07 Sabre Intellectual Property Holdings Llc Venturi
US9378853B2 (en) 2010-10-21 2016-06-28 Bwxt Nuclear Energy, Inc. Support structure for a control rod assembly of a nuclear reactor
US9530526B2 (en) 2012-04-17 2016-12-27 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. Riser transition element for compact nuclear reactor
US9721681B2 (en) 2012-04-17 2017-08-01 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. Integral pressurized water reactor with compact upper internals assembly
US9754688B2 (en) 2012-04-17 2017-09-05 Bwx Technologies, Inc. Suspended upper internals for compact nuclear reactor including a lower hanger plate
US9767930B2 (en) 2012-04-17 2017-09-19 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. Suspended upper internals for compact nuclear reactor including a mid-hanger plate
US9865364B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2018-01-09 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. CRDM with separate SCRAM latch engagement and locking
US9887015B2 (en) 2012-04-17 2018-02-06 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. Suspended upper internals with tie rod couplings for compact nuclear reactor
US10096388B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2018-10-09 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. Extruded guide frame and manufacturing methods thereof
US10102932B2 (en) 2012-04-17 2018-10-16 Bwxt Mpower, Inc. Power distribution plate for powering internal control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) units

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US4204909A (en) * 1977-06-10 1980-05-27 Combustion Engineering, Inc. Temperature sensitive self-actuated scram mechanism
DE3347261A1 (de) * 1983-12-28 1984-11-15 Wilfried Dr. 5860 Iserlohn Rausch Verbesserter regelstab fuer einen kernreaktor mit einer schuettung kugelfoermiger betriebselemente
FR3044156B1 (fr) * 2015-11-23 2017-11-10 Commissariat Energie Atomique Dispositif de surete a declenchement passif pour reacteur nucleaire sur une baisse anormale du debit primaire

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US2935456A (en) * 1957-03-14 1960-05-03 Norman E Huston Variable area control rod for nuclear reactor
US3595748A (en) * 1968-01-24 1971-07-27 Westinghouse Electric Corp Nuclear reactor control device

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US2898281A (en) * 1954-09-29 1959-08-04 Untermyer Samuel Neutronic reactor control
US2935456A (en) * 1957-03-14 1960-05-03 Norman E Huston Variable area control rod for nuclear reactor
US3595748A (en) * 1968-01-24 1971-07-27 Westinghouse Electric Corp Nuclear reactor control device

Cited By (48)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4664878A (en) * 1984-09-26 1987-05-12 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Light water moderator filled rod for a nuclear reactor
US5068083A (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-11-26 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Dashpot construction for a nuclear reactor rod guide thimble
US6721382B1 (en) * 1998-07-02 2004-04-13 Westinghouse Atom Ab Absorber member and control rod
US20090080586A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2009-03-26 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US20110194664A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2011-08-11 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US20060210010A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2006-09-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US7139352B2 (en) * 1999-12-28 2006-11-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core
US20060126775A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2006-06-15 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US8331523B2 (en) 1999-12-28 2012-12-11 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Liquid cooled nuclear reactor with annular steam generator
US20020075983A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2002-06-20 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactivity control rod for core, core of nuclear reactor, nuclear reactor and nuclear power plant
US8711997B2 (en) 1999-12-28 2014-04-29 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Reactor core of liquid metal cooled reactor
US20110116591A1 (en) * 1999-12-28 2011-05-19 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Liquid cooled nuclear reactor with annular steam generator
US20090046824A1 (en) * 2007-08-17 2009-02-19 Pomirleanu Radu O Nuclear reactor robust gray control rod
US8532246B2 (en) * 2007-08-17 2013-09-10 Westinghouse Electric Company Llc Nuclear reactor robust gray control rod
US8559585B2 (en) 2008-02-04 2013-10-15 Westinghouse Electric Company Llc Cold shutdown assembly for sodium cooled reactor
US20090225926A1 (en) * 2008-02-04 2009-09-10 Westinghouse Electric Company, Llc Cold shutdown assembly for sodium cooled reactor
US20110164718A1 (en) * 2008-09-08 2011-07-07 Areva Nc Device for gripping fuel elements, associated clamp and associated handling system
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FR2246026B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1978-06-09
DE2445672A1 (de) 1975-04-17
GB1487566A (en) 1977-10-05
FR2246026A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1975-04-25
DE2445672B2 (de) 1976-08-12

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